2018-19 Champions League group stage groups, ranked 1-32

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The 2018-19 Champions League will come to life on Thursday at midday ET. That’s when 32 groups will likely be drawn from 4 pots into eight quartets. It’s when the group stage will get its construction.

However as of Wednesday night time in Europe, we all know who these 32 groups will likely be. So why wait to rank all 32 of ’em?

These rankings, cut up into seven tiers, are under. However first, a take a look at the confirmed pots for Thursday’s draw:

Champions League group stage draw pots

POT 1: Actual Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester Metropolis, Bayern Munich, Juventus, PSG, Lokomotiv Moscow

POT 2: Tottenham, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Roma, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Benfica

POT 3: Liverpool, Schalke, Lyon, Monaco, CSKA Moscow, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Valencia

POT 4: Hoffenheim, Inter Milan, Galatasaray, Membership Brugge, Viktoria Plzen, BSC Younger Boys, AEK Athens, Crimson Star Belgrade

Now, to the rankings, with pot quantity in parentheses, and with the 32 groups assessed and tiered primarily based on … properly, how good every of the 32 is.

As you’ll see, that process is much more tough than it was final 12 months.

Tier 1: The Elite Eight

1. Manchester Metropolis (1) — Metropolis was the greatest workforce on the planet final 12 months. That shouldn’t actually be a controversial opinion. It met kryptonite within the Champions League quarters and perished, however over 50-plus video games, it was a step above third-place Actual Madrid, above conservative Barca, above untested Bayern Munich, above all others. The ruthless randomness of knockout competitions can strike anytime. True high quality persists. The Residents are the 2018-19 favorites.

2. Bayern Munich (1) Bayern outplayed Madrid over two semifinal legs final spring. It returns in 2018-19 with a really related roster – and now with a wholesome No. 1 goalkeeper. It has depth and variety of every kind. Additionally it is, in contrast to these of opponents, well-rested because of Germany’s World Cup flameout. And it’ll stay that means in a innocent Bundesliga. The Bavarians haven’t strengthened this summer season, however switch market reinforcements aren’t a European title prerequisite.

3. Barcelona (1) — Barca’s subsea shortcomings final season rose to the floor on one notorious night time in Rome. Can second-season Philippe Coutinho and second-season Ousmane Dembele flip the Blaugrana again right into a domineering juggernaut? Or will defensa y Messi dependencia proceed? We don’t but have a large enough pattern measurement at hand to know. Both route might result in Madrid in Could. However the former is actually preferable.

4. Juventus (1) — The early Ronaldo returns? They’ve completely nothing to do with Juve’s Champions League knockout spherical efficiency. The earth-shaking switch didn’t take the Serie A champs far afield domestically. Nevertheless it would possibly simply give them the final-third dynamism they should recover from the hump in Europe. (Or, extra probably than not, it received’t; that’s how Champions Leagues work. No person’s title odds surpass 20 p.c. Regardless, Juve is a extra critical contender now than it was two months in the past.)

5. Liverpool (3) — The Reds seem like respectable contenders within the Premier League and on the continent. They’re constructed to stage uprisings in opposition to the elite. Their defensive frailties are issues of the previous. This isn’t an overreaction to final 12 months’s run. If something, Liverpool must be even greater than fifth.

Might Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Liverpool get again to the Champions League closing? (Getty)

6. Actual Madrid (1) — Madrid could have extra of the ball, extra management, and fairly probably extra defensive safety underneath Julen Lopetagui. It’ll probably have much less attacking punch. It realistically could possibly be higher than it was a 12 months in the past. However it would virtually actually be much less of a continental menace. These two statements aren’t incompatible with one another. Bossing a league and beating the perfect of the perfect are two very totally different team-wide expertise.

7. PSG (1) — The attacking trident stays the world’s greatest. Behind that the threesome? The large distinction isn’t personnel; it’s supervisor Thomas Tuchel, who hasn’t but earned the good thing about the doubt in European competitions. However the hole between No. 7 and No. 1 in these rankings is minimal. Maybe as slim because it’s ever been. The order will undoubtedly be totally different come February. Heck, it’d in all probability be totally different subsequent week. You possibly can argue the Parisians need to be No. 2, and I wouldn’t push again too onerous.

8. Atletico Madrid (1) — By far the least probably of those eight top-tier groups to win a home trophy. By far the least star energy. However to doubt Atletico Madrid in Europe – final 12 months’s group stage blunders be damned – is sacrilege.

Tier 2: Lonely Spurs

9. Tottenham (2) — Positively higher than Napoli or Man United – see Monday as proof. However with out Atleti’s pedigree or PSG’s expertise. Spurs, subsequently, get a tier to themselves.

Tier 3: I Contendenti Marginali

10. Napoli (2) — That tier identify is Italian for “fringe contenders,” or “marginal contenders.” As a result of Napoli, like the 2 Serie A groups under it, can play with superclubs on its day. It was arguably higher than Juventus final season. However Carlo Ancelotti is a drastic departure from Maurizio Sarri, and there will likely be unexpected pains that accompany the transition. Ancelotti lowers Napoli’s ceiling.

11. Manchester United (2) — The Crimson Devils are dangerous proper now. In addition they ought to have a brand new supervisor by the point the Champions League Spherical of 16 rolls round. A brand new supervisor would make them much less dangerous – and even perhaps good!

12. Roma (2) — Don’t anticipate an encore semifinal run. However don’t anticipate the gross sales of Alisson, Radja Nainggolan and Kevin Strootman to be crippling, both. Monchi is working his magic. Roma will likely be something however a knockout-round pushover.

13. Inter Milan (4) — Inter’s squad is very intriguing. Sadly, a primary Champions League look since 2011-12 means a spot in Pot 4 at Thursday’s draw. So merciless ping-pong balls and a bunch stage exit are simply as probably as a quarterfinal berth.

Tier 4: Spherical of 16 Hopefuls

14. Borussia Dortmund (2) — Dortmund has definitively fallen from the ranks of the contenders. The departures of Dembele and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, coupled with a string of low-risk misses within the switch market, have left the roster starved of top-end expertise. The assault, at this level, is what it’s. Dortmund’s upside is dependent upon the event of Manuel Akanji and Abdou Diallo as one of many sport’s greatest younger central defensive duos.

15. Valencia (3) — Valencia completed three factors behind Actual Madrid final 12 months in La Liga. These two groups’ Anticipated Objective differentials? Roughly plus-10 and plus-46, respectively. Learn into that nonetheless you please.

16. Lyon (3) — Gone are the times of six consecutive knockout spherical appearances. Lyon hasn’t made the Spherical of 16 since 2011-12, when it was bounced by APOEL Nicosia. However there’s sufficient 25-and-under high quality right here to make the “sleeper” label apt.

17. Porto (2) — Portuguese champions for the primary time since 2012-13.

18. Benfica (2) — Received a scare from PAOK within the qualifying playoffs, however the hole between the 2 Portuguese individuals is slim.

Tier 5: The Nuisances

19. Shakhtar Donetsk (2) — The everlasting (Brazilian) expertise drain continues. Fred and Bernard are the newest to jet off to England. Shakhtar seems as feeble as ever. However midweek Ukrainian journeys will all the time vex superior opponents.

20. Ajax (3) — Ajax is again! Again after three years of qualifying playoff disappointment, and again with a considerably atypical mix of promising kids (Matthijs De Ligt, Kasper Dolberg), prime-age catalysts (Hakim Ziyech, Dusan Tadic, Nicolas Tagliafico) and recognizable names (Daley Blind, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar). On the very least, they need to be enjoyable.

21. Monaco (3) — They’ve made a outstanding $600 million on participant gross sales over the previous 15 months, and the reinvestment has been … suspect to this point. However the common age of at the very least 20 incomings has been underneath 23. So let’s give the children a while.

22. Schalke (3) — Nowhere close to pretty much as good as a second-place Bundesliga end would recommend. However hey, it’s going to be very, very cool to see Weston McKennie enjoying within the Champions League.

23. Hoffenheim (4) — The Bundesliga behind Bayern final 12 months was a large number. The performances of Hoffenheim and Schalke in Europe are going to be telling.

Tier 6: Not Related

24. PSV Eindhoven (3) — Chucky Lozano is a wizard, and we’re hype for his Champions League debut.

25. Galatasaray (4) — Received a four-team title race in Turkey final season behind the objectives of Bafetimbi Gomis(!) … which tells you a large number in regards to the high quality of the Tremendous Lig, and by extension Galatasaray’s squad.

26. Lokomotiv Moscow (1) — Received a five-team title race in Russia with simply 41 objectives – on 36.4 xG, per Understat – over 30 video games. Someway. And the Russian league ranks sixth behind the massive 5, so Lokomotiv snags a Pot 1 spot. Someway.

27. CSKA Moscow (3) — Not a straightforward away journey, however not a knockout-round menace, both.

Tier 7: The Minnows

28. Membership Brugge (4) — Earned direct qualification by successful each the Belgian league’s common season and playoffs.

29. AEK Athens (4) — Greek champions for the primary time since 1993-94. However Greek soccer as an entire is tumbling downhill. Olympiacos, for instance, has been lowered to Europa League qualifiers in opposition to Burnley.

30. BSC Younger Boys (4) — European soccer’s best-named membership makes its Champions League/European Cup return after a 32-year hiatus.

31. Viktoria Plzen (4) — UEFA’s computer systems spit out league coefficient rankings that positioned the Czech first division forward of the Dutch Eredivisie, amongst others. Plzen capitalized and certified straight.

32. Crimson Star Belgrade (4) — Took down final 12 months’s Europa League darlings, Crimson Bull Salzburg, within the qualifying playoffs with a two-goal second-leg comeback in Austria. Then their touring followers stormed the sphere and actually took jerseys off their victorious gamers’ backs:

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Henry Bushnell covers international soccer for Yahoo Sports activities. Have a tip? Query? Remark? E-mail him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com, or observe him on Twitter @HenryBushnell, and on Fb.



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